The Coleman name has withstood the test of time, much in the same way that their products weather yearly camping trips season after season. After so many decades of outdoor excellence, they’ve brought their A-game to this affordable and feature-rich coleman cooler piece of folding furniture. After our product team extensively researched the market, a group of editors with a wide range of camping experiences gathered in our New York City lab to test 29 of the best portable outdoor chairs.
The 4-pound, steel-construction REI chair has an attached carry strap, rather than a carry bag like the other chairs. After a couple of camping trips, we concluded that a strap is more convenient than a bag—quicker and easier for a kid to grab the chair and go, without parental help. coleman canopy The REI chair is rated to hold up to 150 pounds, the same as the L.L.Bean and Walmart chairs. We think the REI chair is most appropriate for toddlers and kids up to about 7 or 8 years old, though reviews reveal that some small adults have found this to be their favorite seat.
GCI’s Freestyle Rocker is sturdy and supportive but provides a soothing swaying motion. Sitting up higher than most camping furniture, the chair delivers a classic, cozy living-room feel and features outdoor-ready shocks that endured our durability drop test beautifully. The sturdy steel frame supports padded armrests, a back with a breathable mesh panel, and a cup holder for added comfort. We were downright giddy over this spacious, cleverly designed outdoor loveseat.
Lackluster performance and a cooler that’s only moderately useful but surprisingly in the way make us feel like there are much better options out there, even if the chair and cooler have to be separate. REI’s Flexlite Chair has been replaced by an entire coleman cooler flock of Flexlite chairs; the one that is the closest to replacing the original Flexlite in the lineup is the Co-op Flexlite Camp Chair. The design, size, and weight is nearly identical, but the nylon fabric has been replaced with polyester.
The tall back, wide seat, and subtle-yet-serviceable padding let me feel like I could really relax and forget momentarily that I was supposed to find things to criticize. There’s no reinventing the wheel here, just a few decades of practice that have culminated in a really good product. Our not-too-discriminating underage testers liked all the kids’ chairs, though over time we found several reasons to declare the REI Camp Chair the best of the bunch.
Testers provide periodic updates to report on the chairs’ performances over the course of six months. The Yeti Trailhead Camp Chair is a rock-solid piece of outdoor furniture that’ll stay sturdy and supportive even under the toughest conditions. Yeti’s Flexgrid fabric is taut and durable with just the right amount of stretch to conform to your body and provide pressure relief where it’s most needed. We found it to be extremely supportive on the back and legs and marveled at how difficult it was to knock over during the durability test.
The Renetto’s big, heavy canopy provides ample sun protection at a campsite or cookout and doubles as a backpack-strap-equipped carrying case. If you notice some mildew on your chair or happened to enjoy a particularly muddy weekend, cleaning off your camp chair is a relatively straightforward process. The inner pocket, in particular, could hold a surprising amount- books, frisbees, sandals, and even my comically oversized water bottle.
It’s so small and lightweight to bring around, you can even throw it into a backpack or tote bag. I’d also recommend the Cooler Quad to anyone who wants a roomier camp chair but doesn’t want to spring for the more expensive top-of-the-line models. There are plenty of draws to the Cooler Quad, but by my figuring, none are more compelling than the price tag. But generally speaking, you can have one of our favorite chairs for less than 40 dollars.